


roundabout

by afterreign



Series: fools [1]
Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, Persona Series
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, First Love, M/M, POV Alternating, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-17
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-03-23 10:52:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3765430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afterreign/pseuds/afterreign
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their fates were never supposed to cross, but things just don't happen the way you want them to. "Sometimes, we must take the circuitous route to find our way, even if it may appear fruitless." — Souji/Minato, with a side of blooming love and unanswered questions about the universe.</p><p>alternatively: Souji is too obsessed, and Minato isn't obsessed enough. They still find ways to surprise each other anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. crossed paths

**Author's Note:**

> So this was supposed to be a oneshot, and haha, never mind, it's a fucking multichapter fic that I might never continue, and I am so sorry that I am trash.
> 
> Protagshipping is a wonderful thing. The reason why I wrote this was because I was inspired by a picture made by chimelon on Tumblr, who is a fantastic artist you guys should follow and rejoice their beautiful artwork! Also, look, this is my first Persona fic! I'm trying to touch on all of the fandoms I want to go to before reverting back to my Vocaloid fics, so yeah, this will be fun.
> 
> Oh, and Souji is 14 in here, but he'll be 16 by at least Chapter 3. If I update this. -nervous laughter-
> 
> If there are any mistakes, please inform me! I'm not the best author, so I need readers to tell me my grammar mistakes!
> 
> EDIT: Thanks, Angevon, for pointing out my errors! I'm prone to forget simple things, so... ;;;
> 
> EDIT 2: Thanks, seki, for pointing out my mistakes! (I should proofread my stories better orz)
> 
> EDIT 3: Thank you, Oreki, for pointing out those mistakes! I really appreciate you guys helping me with my story, eheh. Also, a huge shout out to chimelon for letting me use their fanart that inspired me to be the cover art of this story! Please check out the link to the artwork [here.](http://chimelon.tumblr.com/post/102733405337/protag-shipping-soon)
> 
> Without a further ado, I hope you enjoy this fanfiction of mine!

                                                                     

* * *

Souji thought he should have a say in matters that involved his personal life as would anyone. He  _was_  at the prime age of fourteen, after all. He had grown from those days of being immature to... well, for lack of a better word, mature. Fourteen was the age of transitioning from some random kid recklessly biking through tall fields of grass to a well-respected adult who had their work cut out for them.

His parents, however, thought otherwise.

Apparently, his parents were moving. Again. They were always absorbed with their careers, he had to admit, but constantly moving because of their work was a hassle he could live without. His parents left to their new home before him due to circumstances (although they did bring his luggage with them, so that was something already taken care of), and Souji had to travel to his new home on his own through the means of public transportation.

That explained his current situation as to why he is forcibly crammed into the corner of a subway car with some portly, hideous business man.

The silver-haired boy shifts uncomfortably in the overbearing crowd, trying to make some room for himself, but the business man doesn't leave much breathing space. The strong scent of cigars sticks to the man, like a thick cloud of the most poignant perfume ever made, making it even harder to breathe than it already was. As discreetly as he can, Souji coughs into his hand and soon wipes it on his dress pants.

How long did he exactly have to deal with this? An hour already passed, but he swears at least ten of them already came along.  _Your stop is only two hours away_ , he reminds himself. _Only two more hours._  

Luckily, Souji was later freed from the tyrannical man―not really tyrannical, but he stunk like he spent his free time literally bathing in cigars while also smoking a dozen of them simultaneously―once the man's stop came, and after swatting away with his hand, he breathes in the fresh air, reveling in the sweet smell of absolutely nothing.  _I will never take you for granted ever again_ , thinks the boy, appreciatively.

He sighs once he stopped praising the fresh air the train was somehow able to emit and instead focused on the crowd pouring in and out of the subway. Grayish-white eyes flicker from the people rushing in to fill up seats to _wait, was that an empty spot?_

God really _does_  exist, huh.

Before any one else flooded in from the subway station, Souji's aching legs worked like lightning, and he dashes in an awkward fashion to the empty seat a few steps in front of him, arms stiff at his side. Passengers peek at the running fourteen-year-old before resuming whatever they were doing, as the young teenager internally squirming under their gaze. Plopping in between two strangers, he finally had the opportunity to relax and enjoy the rest of the ride. He rolls his shoulders, the tension fading away, and tiredly waits for the subway car to start.

A few moments pass, and the subway car begins moving again once the metallic doors slammed shut, emanating a noisy, mechanical groan. Souji is careful to not be swayed into bumping into the passengers he shared seats with. At least he wouldn't have to make small talk with them, most likely. That business man had questioned him about the weather, unleashing the worst morning breath Souji ever smelled in his life. But the people next to him didn't reek of toxins, so...

Curious, he looks over his shoulder and saw an old lady with a hunched over back, a peaceful expression on her face. Her silver, almost-violet hair is tied up in a bun that defied gravity, like wisps of a thin stream of smoke reaching for the morning sky. Her attire consists of a brown shawl over a navy blue yukata to keep herself warm. In her lap was a round calico cat, snoozing away among the ruckus of passengers chatting and feet hitting the ground, although he had no idea how she snuck in a cat at the subway station.

… Not like Souji minded, of course. It's a lie to say that the fourteen-year-old wanted to pull out his phone and take a picture of the feline right next to him.

The corners of the teenager's lips twitches upwards, and the granny, taking notice of the boy next to her, returns it with a wrinkly smile. Souji grins back, albeit awkward and not as warm of a smile as the one before, and quickly redirects his gaze to his folded hands.

There is no way the fourteen-year-old would tell her that he was smiling at the extremely adorable cat napping in her lap and not at the old lady herself.

To avoid any more awkward encounters with that old lady, he switches his focus to the passenger on his right. The one next to him was another teenager, who looked to be the age of about sixteen, with hair as glossy as gold but with the color of the darkest depths of the oceans. Souji could already tell that even though this guy was probably older than him by at least two years, he had a thinner build than most people. His eyes were closed, with one of them hiding behind a lock of hair, so God only knows what color they are, but he imagined them to match his hair or to be something completely unexpected, like bright red.

At first glance, the teenager looked like he was sleeping, but he was at least half-conscious, with slender fingers drumming lightly against his knee as he listens to whatever music his MP3 player provided.

 _Maybe he likes Beethoven._  Souji side-eyes the stranger more, studying his face.  _Or alternative rock? I don't listen to music that often, so I wouldn't really know…_

The stranger remained to sit as still as a bat, with the exception of his tapping fingers, and the fourteen-year-old gladly enjoyed his and the cat's company over the sweaty and paunchy man he had to deal with for what seemed to be years.

Taking a closer look at the stranger's clothes, he recognizes the white undershirt and black ribbon to be apart of Gekkoukan High's uniform for males. Along with the stranger's slacks, black shoes, and belt, he is probably a student from that high-profile academy. All he's missing was the jacket, and then the uniform would have been complete.

 _If I'm in Iwatodai for two years, then I would be wearing that uniform..._  A dry laugh slips from his mouth before resting his head back. _... That isn't likely, though._

Time ticked by slowly. Strangers flew in and out of the subway, with men and women lugging around thick suitcases and parents holding their children close to themselves so they wouldn't be devoured in the crowd. The old lady later hobbles off, her age showing in the way she moved, and Souji was almost tempted to wave goodbye to the cat but held back the urge. Instead, he flashed a small smile, and the cat let out a little mewl of delight.

Scratch that. He ended up waving to the cat anyway.

Right after the old lady left, a girl with bubblegum-pink dyed hair, who appeared to be about the age of twelve, sat near Souji, their shoulders knocking against each other, and flipped through her contacts on her phone with no word of apology. He didn't deny the fact that he missed the cat, but as long as he wasn't being bothered too badly, then he didn't mind anyone's presence.

The blue-haired stranger, unlike the elder lady and the feline, was still besides him, quieter than before. His legs were spread out, probably taking up more space than needed, and Souji forced his legs together in response. With the stranger's head leaned back and all, it would be easy to mistake him as—

_Oh._

No one really touched Souji. It wasn't as if he was magically cursed or anything; It was only something that never really happened. Because of his parents, moving around became such a familiar activity and making friends just wasn't. So no, there weren't any friendly slaps on the back after shooting hoops or wrestling matches over who gets to be the first player in a video game. It was just obnoxious laughter and maybe that one rare highfive he'd get after letting his classmates copy his math homework.

His parents weren't any better. His parents were loving, sure, but that didn't stop them from working to the point until they didn't see Souji as often as they could have— _should_  have. The last time the silver-haired teen remembered when he received a hug from his dad was at the age of six, and that was practically nine years ago.

Souji wasn't used to anyone touching him, so when he felt soft hairs tickling his neck, he was surprised, to the say the least.

Apparently, the stranger was sleeping. On Souji's shoulder. In a public place.

It was impossible to stop the rising heat in his face. Fidgeting under the sudden weight on his shoulder, he spluttered, "Um, I, uh, you're—"

A quiet snore interrupted him mid-sentence.

This was almost like those romantic scenes in shoujo manga. The love interest would accidentally fall asleep on the heroine's shoulder, and the heroine, with colored cheeks, would think at that moment,  _'Wow, I never knew he was so cute until now...'_

Maybe in a shoujo manga the love interest would be sparkling in the eyes of the youthful heroine. Maybe he would smell like the flowery shampoo he had to use because his normal bottle was empty, and the only substitute he had was his little sister's. Maybe the heroine would tuck loose strands of hair behind his ear, and try to kiss him on the cheek before he woke. And maybe, he would wake up at the gentle touch of hers and slowly leaned in to close the distance.

This was a bit different.

First and foremost, Souji was definitely not a cliché heroine from some cheesy romantic comedy. If anything, he was the protagonist of a rated E show that would get cancelled in a week or two due to poor reception. His life was sadly that boring.

Second of all, whoever was nuzzling against his neck smelled less like girly shampoo and more of the yakisoba bread you'd find being sold in a school cafeteria. … Not like Souji minded, anyway. It may have been the embarrassment of some guy sleeping on him or the awkward stares he received from strangers getting to his head, but the young teenager rather liked the scent of freshly packed bread sold at cheap prices. Plus, the scent of yakisoba bread would beat the stench of cigars any day of the year.

That didn't solve his problem, though. His mind proceeded to run rampant, thoughts accumulating wildly. He inwardly sighed.  _Should I just lend my shoulder to whoever this stranger was or shake him awake? But that would be a pretty rude thing to do to someone that meant no harm..._

There was a high chance that Souji wasn't all too mature than he thought he was, because his imagination, without warning, suddenly let loose at full force.

 _Maybe the guy was having one of those days_ , he pondered,  _like he got laid off his part-time job, and now he's job-hopping to pay for a crippling debt. Maybe he only had few hours of sleep due to an exam he was studying ten hours for, and he ended up getting a 20 on it. Or maybe he was a transfer student like me and he was suffering with family problems and the concept of making friends._

Eyes fluttered shut, and the stranger seemed like the smartest person in the universe at that moment to a still immature Souji; Napping sounded like a fantastic idea and an excellent way to get rid of your problems.

Souji almost didn't notice the smile creeping up his face as he lost consciousness.  _Maybe he's like me._

* * *

"So, you lent me your shoulder to use as a pillow because I was napping, and then you fell asleep with me?"

Okay, so _maybe_  sleeping on a subway car wasn't the best idea, after all.

The silver-haired teenager opened his mouth, closed it, and repeated this action a few times before letting out an embarrassed sigh. "Yeah," he answered, rubbing his neck in a sheepish manner.

The stranger blinked at him, hands in his pockets. "Huh."

Azure orbs bored into shining gray eyes, as if the stranger was trying to glare holes into Souji's head. The mysterious person's eyes matched his hair, sure, but unlike his hair which was a soothing blue, swallowing its victims up like the waves of the deep ocean, his eyes were dull and uninteresting.

 _Almost like a blunt pencil_ , the fourteen-year-old noted.

Rummaging through his pockets, the stranger pulled out a flip phone, with a surprisingly cute key charm hanging from it, and stared at the screen before returning it. "It's ten already."

"Sorry," was the only reply from Souji, staring down at his shoes. He missed his stop, but wherever the two were, he knew he had to be at least somewhere near Iwatodai, or so his hopeful self told him. He had no clue where the stranger was heading towards though, and a slight pang of guilt itched the silver-haired boy for his careless actions.

"My place is only in the next town over, so I'll call a taxi to pick me up," the stranger immediately answered, as if to soothe the fourteen-year-old's thoughts, brushing it off as if it was nothing. "How about you?"

It occurred to Souji that he probably shouldn't tell this guy he only met— _and shared a nap with_ , his mind added, ever so eager to be of help—where he was heading to, but it was late at night, and he was sure that this guy wasn't bad. Maybe napping with the guy made him feel a little more trustworthy, even if he didn't know his name.

"I'm going to Iwatodai," Souji responded.

Something lit up in the stranger's eyes, dull blue transitioning to a glowing sapphire, like polished jewels. The fourteen-year-old squinted at the person in front of him. Suddenly, this person had changed from a guy he barely knew to someone he didn't have the slightest who they were in under five seconds. Cerulean orbs shone bright, like a small flame flickering from a melting candlestick in a dark, serene night. 

And then, they switched back to that uninteresting blue again, the color they were when he met the guy. He felt pretty disappointed at how quick the sight lasted.

"I'm going there as well," the stranger commented, his tone of voice nonchalant, before adding—

_Then was that a flicker of recognition?_

"Do you want to share a taxi with me?"

It took a few moments before Souji had registered what the mysterious person said.

"What?" he uttered, a perplexed expression on his face.

"Do you want to share a taxi with me?" the stranger repeated. Although Souji had no right to say this, but whoever this was had a face that was practically emotionless, almost as if he was a chiseled statue. "If you don't have money, I'll pay for your fare, too."

It took a few moments and a lot of incoherent noises in his brain before he was able to stammer, "... I would appreciate it."


	2. sleepless and sleepiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Regret._ That's what keeps Minato up all night. Well, that, and making sure some cat lover gets home before the ominous Dark Hour approaches. God. What a mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> > casually updates out of no where
> 
> So I do recall, sometime, somewhere, that I would update this story, and today, that dream comes true! How have I ignored this fanfiction? Since April? Huh. Time really does fly when you're lurking on the internet!
> 
> I do apologize for the lack of activity. I planned to make the chapter longer, but things happen, and it ended up... not... being... that... way... Um. Yes.
> 
> Anyway, thank you for the people who eagerly waited for an update, and greetings to the new readers of this story! I'd like to ask for constructive criticism and any errors I've made throughout this chapter. Please and thank you!
> 
> Without a further adieu, please enjoy and happy reading!（＾▽＾）ﾉ♡

10:45 PM.

A sense of dread crawls up the teenager's back by watching the neon green lights of a digital clock flicker in the dark. Even the color of them makes Minato uneasy, recent memories of vicious Shadows illuminated in an eerie, green light flooding his mind.

_The Dark Hour._

He grimaces. It'd be nice if they weren't stuck during _that_  in traffic.

A couple of honks interrupt the Gekkoukan High School student's grim thinking, and the taxi driver, who may or may not be sober, groans, fingers tapping impatiently against the driver's wheel. "Man, what the hell is up with the hold up? Give me a break!"

It'd be really nice if they weren't.

Shuffling in his seat to get a better view of the road ahead of them only makes it worse. It may be dark and difficult to see, but vehicles of all kinds light the way to a path… strewn with even more vehicles.

He sighs and counts each street light they pass, neck turned to the window. _Lucky me._

The stranger, whose presence is too paper-thin, must have sensed his distress because he immediately gives the high school student a shake. Craning his neck to the boy, said kid pipes up, a reassuring smile brandished across soft features. "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll get there soon."

Getting comforted by some kid isn't the proudest of moments, but he takes it anyway. He sinks in his car seat a little more, the leathery fabric being unfavorable of the idea, yet he finds himself relaxing even then. While music also sounded like a great way to relieve stress, he stills the itch in his fingers to mess around with his MP3. What if he accidentally ignores the boy due to alternative rock blasting in his ears?

 _God_ , he inwardly sighs.  _Did that sound rude **and**  scene all at once?_

Still facing the stranger and ignoring the strange thoughts popping up in his mind, Minato contemplates his choices on what to do with this… problem. It's top priority that he should put the stranger's safety first, but what will happen to him? If it starts nearing 12, he might be stuck outside during the Dark Hour―and then what? Does he fight all the way back to the dorms like it's some RPG quest? No weapons besides his Evoker, no teammates to back him up… nothing?

It's impractical, nonetheless,  _stupid_. His seniors would give him a disapproving look right off the bat if he dared to pull off such a stunt. It's best not to test their patience, especially Mitsuru-san's.

It takes him a couple of moments until he realizes that he's been staring into the large, curious eyes of the stranger for quite some time, and the awkwardness of the situation makes him only want to turn away, uncomfortable and restless and all that jazz, until a voice pulls him right back in.

The stranger blinks. "Is there something on my face?"

"No." He pauses. Should he tell a joke to lighten up the mood? "… I was just wondering if you'll be able to lend me your shoulder again."

Maybe it's the lighting, but the stranger's face gradually turns a light shade of pink, which is already weird enough considering that if anything, his face should be yellow due to the glow of the street lamps. Those wide ears sticking out from the stranger's bowl-head hair cut say otherwise, however, rose bushes blooming on earlobes.

Things were already taking a weird turn. Great.

"Okay."

A perplexed "What?" slips from Minato's lips, and the stranger, whose name he still doesn't know, shifts around in his seat.

"I said," he repeats, "okay."

Azure orbs focus on the stranger's face before his gaze drifts to the other's shoulder. The air between them grows to be even more uncomfortable than before, with Minato in disbelief and the stranger's seriousness intact. He ponders for any other options, yet after moments of pointless thinking, decides there's nothing else that can go wrong. As casually as he can, the SEES leader slides closer to the stranger and leans against the other, body stiff with tension before eventually melting into sleepiness.

They say people learn something new everyday, and Minato hasn't been able to prove that saying wrong… yet. Differences between lying on someone's shoulder conscious and unconscious are now clear as daylight. When you're asleep, you notice nothing, and when you're awake, you notice  _everything_.

He wonders if he can list them on his fingers; their height difference, the faint scent of laundry and cardboard, thin fingers clenching the other's dress pants, the stranger's breath hitching when Minato leaned on him, the indescribable warmth radiating off of―

"Thanks," mutters the mopey-looking teenager, far too unconvincing to his liking. And as quickly as his mind accumulates with pointless thoughts, as quickly as his eyes flutter shut.

* * *

Distress isn't exactly the last thing that Minato thought he would wake up to, but it's certainly not the first either.

"He isn't with me, sir…" what he thinks to be the stranger insists, obviously frazzled by whatever the cab driver suggested.

"Really?" a gruff voice answers back, confused and exceptionally pissed off. "Even though you were all like that in the back?"

Like _what_  exactly?

"Sorry," the Persona user is able to muster at quick notice, voice thick with grogginess. Wiping away the sleep in his eyes with one hand, he lets out a yawn and fumbles to takes off his seat belt with the other. "He's with me. How much is the fare?"

The taxi driver turns to the two and huffs, like they were the cause of all misfortune. Jabbing a thumb to the taximeter in the most begrudging way possible, a number lit up by a bright red reads…

He has to stop himself from gawking at the huge number.  _Can a taxi ride really cost that much…?_

As much as he wants to protest, causing a scene is something he preferred to avoid after today. It's late, he's tired, he's pretty sure the kid's tired too, and all he wants to do is sleep. Again.

From the corner of his eye, the digital clock flickers to 11:20 PM, the time only mocking him, and Minato digs around in his pocket. Fingertips meet cold, hard cash, and he pulls all of it out, flipping through the bills with a sigh before handing it to the stranger.

 _There goes my money_ , he thinks, kissing all of his yen goodbye, and the money falls in the scammer of a cab driver's clutches with a plop.

A quiet sigh sounds besides him, but the stranger doesn't say a word to him. Instead, he smiles politely at the taxi driver, whatever that's bothering him unreadable. "Thank you for the ride. Have a nice night."

"Thanks," Minato follows, getting out of the car. "Good night."

The stranger does the same before the taxi driver gives an insincere, "You too." With the scratch of his chin, the car starts up again and drives away, the vehicle becoming a yellow speck along the dark road.

"I'll pay you back," the stranger says when the cab is far from their sight. "It's my fault you had to use all of your money."

He squints. "How do you know if that's all I have?"

A contemplative look crosses the stranger's face before answering. "… It's just a guess."

"So, how will you pay me back?" the student challenges, hands in his pockets. "With your parents' money? Or your allowance?"

The stranger bites back his embarrassment, not uttering a word. His silence is already enough for an answer.

He shakes his head in mild disappointment.  _Looks like I hit the mark on that one._

"Then," the stranger begins, "you can stay at my place for the night. As a thank you."

Minato's once laid back stance stiffens. Carefully crossing his arms, he braces for whatever is to come. "Will your parents allow that?"

"No," he pauses before formulating a plan, "but I can sneak you in. This is my first time here, actually. My family moved in recently, so we're still unpacking. At this hour, they would be asleep or working over-time, and they leave early in the morning. If I go inside and locate my new room, you can sleep there with me. Then, you can leave right after my parents go to work… or stay, if you want. I should make you breakfast for paying for my ride."

It's been awhile since Minato has been speechless, but here he is now, eyes wide and mouth agape. And if the Persona user looked closely at the stranger, didn't he seem awfully… proud for making a plan in a short period of time?

 _No, no. I can't._  The SEES leader shakes his head, fingers pressing against his temples.  _Staying at some kid's house with the risk of having the police on me? Although, I'm sure Mitsuru-san would be able to cover me somehow, but then the aftermath of that…_

But as much as Minato would have been enthralled to decline the stranger's offer, does he really have any other choice? He's broke, tired, and hungry, and walking around aimlessly for a motel he can pass out at as it nears midnight sounded completely pathetic.

He clenches his fist.  _Think of it as a bed and breakfast. A bed and breakfast where some 12-year-old runs the whole place, but still a bed and breakfast._

"… Sure," he says as calmly as he can, blaming the crack in his voice on the night. "Thanks."

The stranger gives him an all-knowing smile and approaches the entrance of the house. "It's nothing. Please wait here."

The house itself carried a simplistic look; an average-sized door and walls painted a light shade of grey. Looking around to be two stories high, it appeared to be your everyday house… that seemed a little more well-off than other everyday houses, but Minato couldn't judge. Stone steps led to a black door, and rectangular windows were already covered with curtains, despite being the stranger's first time being here. Did his parents already place everything before the stranger's arrival?

He doesn't notice the stranger already unlocked the door until he calls the blue-haired teen over. "Oh, I'm afraid I still haven't gotten your name after all the things you've done for me," said the stranger graciously before introducing himself. "My name is Souji. Souji Seta. And yours?"

What kind of guy thanks someone while offering the other person a place to stay?  _This_  stranger, apparently. Or, now, Souji.

He stares blankly at the kid. "Minato Arisato."

"Minato Arisato," the stranger echoes and nods, as if his name is an acceptable answer. Souji gives a thoughtful smile. "Then, Arisato-san, please wait here."

Before 'Arisato-san' can say anything else, the stranger rushes inside and shuts the door behind him. Cicadas screeching in the night are left as the student's only form of company, much to Minato's dismay.

Right after the stranger leaves, he feels a vibration in his pocket and fetches for his phone, careful to pull out his Jack Frost keychain along with it. He squints against the brightness of the screen after retrieving it, his phone displaying a picture of the SEES members as his background. Unlocking his phone, he opens up his messages and realizes just how many are accumulating in his inbox. He selects the latest one and reads the text.

 **Mitsuru Kirijo [10:55]  
** \- Arisato, are you alright? You haven't come back to the dorms yet. Whatever situation you're in, I hope you are safe and secure. Everyone is worried, Aigis especially. Report to me when you get this message.

His fingers hover over the keypad, undecided if he should message or call her back instead. Standing in front of someone's house is already suspicious enough, and calling while doing so sounded even shadier. Texting her is probably the best course of action. He quickly types out his reply without a second thought, fingers flying across the keypad.

 **Minato Arisato [11:27]  
** \- I'm fine. I ended up getting caught in a mess, but I'm not in danger or anything. I'll be sleeping in a safe place before the Dark Hour starts. Sorry for worrying you. I'll call you in the morning. Tell Aigis I said hi.

He sends his message and mentally apologizes to the student council president.  _Sorry for sleeping so much that I'lll be stuck in the Dark Hour with some random kid that stares at cats, Mitsuru-san._

Deciding to go through the rest of his messages, he finds the majority of them to be from Aigis, a few of them from Yukari, Fuuka, Junpei, Shinjiro… and one from an unknown number. He picks Aigis's texts first to read.

 **Aigis [10:20]  
** \- a

 **Aigis [10:29]  
** \- aa

 **Aigis [10:32]  
** \- a are y ou

 **Aigis [10:45]  
** \- u okkay

 **Aigis [11:13]  
** \- ? ?

The time gaps and the content of the messages makes Minato internally cheer for the girl. Although she's an android, with those bulky fingers of her, it's hard to blame her for her poor texting abilities. He immediately messages back.

 **Minato Arisato [11:28]  
** \- I'm alright. I'll be back tomorrow, Aigis. Rest well. Night.

The other messages were of the same caliber, SEES members worrying over their missing leader in their own way. He replies to all of them in a similar manner and leaves the message from an unknown number last to read. Curious, he opens the unread text.

 **Unknown Number [11:01]  
** \- arf

He stares blankly at the message before texting back a one-word response.

 **Minato Arisato [11:31]  
** \- arf

He presses send, and in just a few seconds, his phone instantly buzzes in his hand. Morbidly curious as to how someone can text so fast, the teen goes through his inbox and slowly reads the new message.

 **Unknown Number [11:31]  
** \- (^ •́ .̫ •̀ ^)

He squints at the screen.  _Is… is this from Koromaru? Wait, dogs can't even text, can they?_

"I think it's difficult with their paws, but with determination, I'm sure they can do it."

Looking up from his phone, he sees Souji smiling up at him, a hand against the door frame. The teenager slides the phone back in his pocket and evenly stares at the stranger.

"I didn't know you knew so much about dogs. Aren't you more of a cat lover?" asks Minato.

Said cat lover makes an incoherent noise, cheeks dusted pink. "H-how did you know that?"

"It's not hard to tell when you kept looking back at the cat during the train ride."

"Oh."

The air between them is quiet once again. Cicadas―the most annoying beetles in existence, Minato can't help but think―fills the hushed night with their diabolical shrieks of terror, hurting the poor ears of any passerbyers. His eye twitches, and the other immediately picks up on it.

"Arisato-san," Souji begins, ushering him inside, "make yourself at home."

He hesitates, uneasy about entering somewhere unknown, and peeks inside. Darkness. Silhouettes of boxes and furniture can be seen if he squints, but if he doesn't make the effort, he can barely make out anything at all. Still unsure about his surroundings, he takes a tentative step inside before fully getting inside the home of the stranger. Minato warily closes the door behind him and takes off his shoes, holding the pair to his chest once they were off his feet. No reason to leave them at the entrance, after all.

Suddenly, fingers brush against the SEES leader's arm before grabbing a hold of his wrist. He flinches until realization hits him hard like a brick; it's only Souji. His face flushes red, but the latter doesn't seem to notice, only beckoning the older one of the two. "Follow me. We'll be going up some stairs, so watch your step."

At the younger one's warning, a reluctant Minato lets himself be dragged around by the stranger. He takes in a deep breath and sighs. "Then, excuse me for the intrusion…"

* * *

He's not sure how he got stuck in such a shoujo anime situation, but there's no turning back now. How sad.

Minato recalls being tired how many times today? Three? Four? A hundred? He slept in class, on the dorms' couch, on the train, in a taxi cab… But he can't sleep on an actual futon?

Truthfully, the cause of it all must be the boy sleeping right near him.

Soft snores emit from the slumbering stranger, unlike the elder teen of the hour, who only lays restless in sticky clothes and an unfamiliar futon. Eyes that were once heavy with sleep are now light with consciousness and mild distress.

 _Funny how things work out_ , Minato figures while pulling the blanket up to his chest.  _If I had gotten enough sleep instead of pulling an all-nighter, then―_

If there hadn't been surprise coming one after another today, the teenager might have jumped out of the futon. Instead, he lays in the nest of blankets too small for a highschooler himself, as the phone spazzes out on the wooden floor, screen blinking and the piece of technology traveling away from the futon with constant buzzes.

 _Looks like I forgot to turn it off_. The melancholic-looking student flips himself on his stomach, staring aimlessly at his phone trying to off itself in the corner. He hesitantly reaches out for it but stops midway.  _It'll probably stop buzzing any minute now, so there isn't really any point_ …

When the omniscient night is suddenly dyed in a sickly green, Minato is immediately filled with regret.

_Shit._

A death grip to the broad shoulders of the stranger almost jolts the boy awake until Minato eases his hold on them, hands shaky. He scans the other's face for any irregularities.

Wide eyes leave every inch of Souji's head seen and inspected.  _Two eyes? Check. Mouth? Check. Bowl-head haircut? Check. Prone not to wake up in the middle of the Dark Hour? Che―_

A small groan slips from the sleeping Souji, and it almost drives Minato insane.

Unlucky for the SEES leader, who should just really be named the SEES caretaker by now, the kid waking up might be the least of his worries. Numerous otherworldly moans and cries are heard from outside, and Minato is stuck with the task of making sure Souji doesn't get traumatized by it.

Like clockwork, the high school student reaches for his earphones and MP3 and presses play to whatever song Minato had been listening to before. The unfinished version of  _Burn My Dread_  instantly resounds from the silver earphones, the song seemingly soothing enough to Minato's tastes. He sweeps away Souji's choppily cut bangs to the side before expertly placing an earphone in the sleeping figure's ear.

He waits a few moments for something to happen, but all Souji does is let out a sigh of content and digs his face in Minato's chest.

Minato awkwardly pats the other on the back.  _Well, that's one way to block out the sounds of the outside._

Straining himself to be as normal as he can, he grasps Souji's shoulders, as if it's a good luck charm, and hopes everything will be alright.

He closes his eyes before sneaking in another glance at the sleeping face of the cat lover. Everything sure feels alright, and Minato can't help but wonder why he's so at ease.

He opens his eyes for another peek and decides not to question it anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **afterreign [4:20]**  
>  \- minato is a meme (✿ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> **afterreign [6:66]**  
>  \- also check out those undertale references heck ye
> 
>  **afterreign [this isn't:a time]**  
>  \- anyway, i hope you enjoyed the fic and ty for reading!!! ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* ̀ˋ*:･✧✿


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